Of course there are tons of more traditional recipes still to make. But I do just love the challenge of baking without anything ground into a flour. Anything at all. And I also love the idea that, if you’re brand new to gluten free baking, you can make a flourless baking recipe with, say, the black beans or chocolate in your pantry.

In the case of these amazing flourless fudge cookies, you’ll only need egg whites, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, and some chips (plus a bit of salt and vanilla, but you could even do them without either!). And if you’re hesitant to bake with gluten free flours (don’t be!), flourless baking is the perfect place to begin your journey.

These flourless fudge cookies make such a nice show of themselves that you often see cookies just like them in bakeries. They deceptively simple, though, both in method and in ingredients.

They’re almost like a chocolate meringue. But the egg whites are only beaten until foamy, not until they’re, well, meringue with stiff peaks. You simply must beat the egg whites until they’re foamy, though, or your raw mixture will spread terribly and you won’t get the shiny top or chewy inside texture.

These cookies change rather dramatically in the oven. The raw cookies are very shiny in appearance and seem almost like a liquid. But when they’re finished baking, they’re firm and chewy, with a rich, chocolate taste.

They puff in the oven and deflate as they cool. They’ll be crispy around the edges and chewy toward the center. And they’re so easy!

Ingredients and substitutions

Egg whites: First off, I should mention that the egg whites in the carton have worked quite well for me, but in my experience, those do vary in quality quite a bit from brand to brand. To be safe, I’d stay away from a store brand of carton egg whites, unless that store brand is Trader Joe’s as those have worked perfectly for me.

When I first posted this recipe, I never would have thought I could provide you with a suggestion for an egg white substitution for this recipe, which is little more than egg whites, cocoa powder, and sugar. But since I’ve been doing so much allergen-free baking lately, I have an educated guess to offer you! 🎁

Although I haven’t tried this substitution, I actually think that aquafaba would work well as a substitute by weight. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!

Cocoa powder: I’ve made this recipe with Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and with natural cocoa powder, and both work well. The Dutch-processed cocoa variety just makes a richer chocolate cookie. You can’t, however, replace the cocoa powder with something that isn’t chocolate.

Chocolate chips: I have tried making these cookies without any chips or other mix-in pieces and it’s a disaster! The chips really help the cookies hold the batter in some sort of shape. You can replace them with any other sort of chip you prefer, or with a mixture of chips and chopped nuts.

Sugar-free: Sine this recipe is so simple, the confectioners’ sugar play a large role in its success. You can try using Swerve brand alternative sugar, confectioners’ variety. Please keep in mind that that sort of sugar substitute does tend to be drying, so you might have to add some moisture. Maybe even some water? You’ll have to experiment!

Weight Watchers note: If you make the cookies into 24 smaller ones (rather than 12 larger ones, as you see in the photos here) and you’re following Weight Watchers, each has 4 SmartPoints.

Watch this 1-minute how-to video

Click play ▶ in the photo below, and watch me make these flourless fudge cookies. Then, make your own!

If you’re having trouble viewing the video below, or even don’t see a photo with a play button below, if you are using an ad blocker, you can’t see the video, so turn that off first. Then, try a different browser! I understand that some browsers, like Internet Explorer, block videos. Try Google Chrome! I promise the video is there. :)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line large rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl, place all but about 1 scant tablespoon of the egg whites and whisk vigorously by hand until the egg whites have begun to foam and thicken. Add the vanilla, and continue to whisk until the egg whites have nearly doubled in volume. Add the cocoa powder, and whisk until well-combined. The batter will be very thick, but just keep whipping and it will begin to smooth out. Add the confectioners’ sugar and salt, and the remaining egg whites, and whisk by hand until smooth and slowly pourable. The mixture will clump and thicken, but just keep whisking and it will become smooth again.

Add the chocolate chips to the cookie batter, and fold the chips into the batter using a wide spatula until the chips are evenly distributed throughout it.

Scoop the batter into about 12 or 24 portions, each 1 to 2 tablespoons, leaving about 2 inches between the cookies. The batter will spread, but slowly. Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake until the cookies are just set and beginning to crack on top, 12 to 14 minutes. They will puff in the oven, and then deflate as they cool. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. For easy removal of the cookies from the parchment paper, place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 5 minutes, and then peel away the parchment from the backs of the cookies. Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the freezer.

Originally published on the blog in 2013. Photos and video all new, method revised somewhat for clarification and consistency of results.

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I tried these using aquafaba that had been in the fridge for a few days, but I brought it up to room temperature before whisking it. Everything seemed to be fine and looked like the video, but what came out of the oven was an entire pan of molten chocolate goo! I can attest to the fact that the batter tastes great. I’m not sure if I didn’t whisk the aquafaba enough to begin with or what.

Devon

April 8, 2018 at 7:02 PM

I tried these today and made sure to whip the egg whites until really foamy and thickening. I doubled the recipe, because I needed 24 cookies to take to an event. The cookies were still runny in the oven – not like your nice circles, and they stuck a bit to the parchment paper, so I finished them off in the fridge until I could safely peel them off the parchment. They taste amazing! But what might I have done wrong? Thanks for the recipe…

Nicole Hunn

April 9, 2018 at 7:46 AM

You may not have blended the ingredients enough since you doubled them, Devon. Next time, I’d recommend making two sets of batter, not doubling.

Laurie Pessetto

April 8, 2018 at 3:09 PM

Are you able to add nutritional info to the recipes? Diabetic! What would be carb count be? Thanks

Nicole Hunn

April 9, 2018 at 7:46 AM

Except in very limited circumstances, Laurie, I don’t provide nutritional information. Feel free to use an online calculator yourself, which is what I would do anyway. I really like the one from cronometer!

Milvi

April 8, 2018 at 12:23 PM

Love the video. Scoop out 8 cookies and 6 come out of the oven!! Great way to watch those calories too! But seriously, your recipes are amazing. I thought the my new ‘go to’ chocolate cookie was the black bean recipe, but have to give this a try too.

Micky

April 8, 2018 at 12:05 PM

Aquafaba does work – substitute 6 tablespoons for this recipe. I also have made mine cane sugar free due to an allergy and since we don’t have sugar free icing sugar in South Africa, I blended 1 and 1/2 cups of coconut sugar with 4 heaped tablespoon of maizena (cornflour). The cookies were delicious (the dough even more so!) but very flat, crisp and sticky. Chewing them resulted in a lovely toffy rather than a fudge. For those that are new to using aquafaba, a quick tip: let it sit in the fridge for at least a day before use to become gelatinous which is quite important in keeping these cookies together.

Nicole Hunn

April 8, 2018 at 12:52 PM

Those are a lot of substitutions, Micky, which explains why your cookies really didn’t turn out as intended. Thanks for sharing your results!

Deb

April 8, 2018 at 9:09 AM

I can’t do sugar can I use Lakanto or stevia instead? Will it turn out alright? I am wanting some cookie n my diet is kinda restrictive with autoimmunity. Sugar is a no no! :(

Nicole Hunn

April 8, 2018 at 9:12 AM

Please see the ingredients and substitutions section, Deb, for all the information I have (including my best guesses!).

Rena Burns

April 8, 2018 at 12:14 AM

These cookies are amazing!! I made them tonight for a family gathering and everyone LOVED them!! They were quick and easy to make and they were all gone way too soon :-))

Nicole Hunn

April 8, 2018 at 8:36 AM

That’s so awesome, Rena! Thanks so much for letting us know. :)

Marji

April 4, 2018 at 5:56 PM

These look like the flourless chocolate cookie that Starbucks used to sell (that I miss terribly, since they stopped carrying them!) question: if I buy Trader Joe’s egg whites in a carton, how much do I pour out for 3 egg whites?

Nicole Hunn

April 5, 2018 at 8:23 AM

Hi, Marji, Yes! They’re very much like those. If you use egg whites in a carton, you need to measure them by weight. 75 grams total, by the recipe! Weight is always recommended anyway.

Eileen

April 3, 2018 at 5:46 PM

If I make cup 4 cup g.f. flour can I use it in any of my regular recipes?

Nicole Hunn

April 4, 2018 at 9:30 AM

I’m afraid not, Eileen. Please see this page for full information, including why a true “cup for cup” replacement for conventional flour in gluten-containing recipes is a myth.

Ginny

April 3, 2018 at 5:42 PM

why can’t I combine the cocoa and sugar and salt and add a little at a time to the eggwhites

Nicole Hunn

April 4, 2018 at 9:28 AM

Ginny, I have made this recipe many, many times with many different combinations and this is the one that I find provides the most consistent results. But feel free to experiment on your own if that’s what you’d prefer!

Gina Kelley

March 6, 2013 at 3:10 PM

A local coffee shop makes some flourless chocolate cookies like this that are amazing. They always get flour on them from the other pastries in the case, so I’m reluctant to buy them. Now I can make my own! Thanks, Nicole!

Janice

March 4, 2013 at 11:10 PM

can not use corn starch, is there a substitute? Just wondering.

gfshoestring

March 5, 2013 at 1:36 PM

You really could use an equivalent amount of just about any starch, Janice. The cornstarch simply prevents the chips from clumping at the bottom of the cookies. Nicole

How good do they look? I would so love to have a few of them right now!

Laurierambo

March 2, 2013 at 9:00 PM

I made these for my daughter’s wedding shower today. They were one of the big hits of the party! We had a whole gluten-free section that included these cookies, salted caramel French Macaroons, Flourless peanut butter cookies oatmeal muffins, and a crustless quiches. And of course all the spinach salad, fruit and veggies you could want. It was so nice to be able to indulge in treats and it was also a pleasant surprise to some guests that I didn’t even know were GF !

Clare

March 1, 2013 at 10:06 AM

I made these last night and loved them and their meringe like texture. I did use plain cocoa powder and added a little baking soda. They turned out great!

Sallie

February 28, 2013 at 2:49 PM

Okay – I succumbed and made them. Oh wow! Another winner and another inch on my hips. As I have said in the past, you are the gluten free guru! Many, many thanks for all the shares. And, I have bought both of your cookbooks many times over for me and my friends.

Laurierambo

February 28, 2013 at 7:57 AM

Should these be frozen if you are not eating them the day they are baked or will they be ok well wrapped on the counter overnight?

gfshoestring

March 5, 2013 at 1:37 PM

They keep quite well, Laurierambo, but you could store them either way. Nicole

Michelle

February 27, 2013 at 6:51 PM

Oh, yum! And so easy! I think I would like these choc chips and walnuts or with peanut butter chips. I just picked up some True Lemon for the Lemonades, but they may get bumped down the queue for these. I cant keep up with all of the excellent cookie recipes!

Gail

February 27, 2013 at 2:51 PM

Thanks for the recipe! I was just craving….something… and then saw today’s post- perfect! My mouth is already watering.

RW

February 27, 2013 at 2:49 PM

Yum!! Looks great. What kind of chocolate chips do you use? I have a real hard time finding any that don’t bother my stomach. BTW I love your book! It came today. Yipee!

gfshoestring

March 5, 2013 at 1:40 PM

You may be reacting to something other than gluten in the chips you are using, RW. Just a thought. I use either Nestle or Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips. I also sometimes order chocolate chips online from nuts.com, as they have good dark chocolate disks and chips that are certified GF. Nicole

Slarson90

February 27, 2013 at 1:30 PM

Nicole, these look gorgeous! I had to look really closely at the first pic. ’cause I thought they were individually wrapped in plastic(they’re so shiny;)! I like the idea of no butter or oil, and cannot wait to try these! Thank you for your creativity!

Rue

February 27, 2013 at 1:13 PM

How important are the chocolate chips to this recipe? The cookies sound amazing but I prefer less chips in my cookies.

gfshoestring

February 27, 2013 at 2:46 PM

Rue, I indicate in the recipe that you can use a combination of nuts and chips. You need something to help create structure. Nicole

Jennifer S.

February 27, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Yum-o – another home run!

Belpsand

February 27, 2013 at 10:01 AM

These sound awesome! I’m not a baker, so was wondering can I use Hersheys Coco, or is Dutch readily available?

Donna

February 27, 2013 at 9:20 AM

I made your regular chocolate chip cookies last weekend for my visiting kids and they said they were the best thing I’ve baked so far gluten free! Thanks for the recipe using a flour blend.